Charles' First Tank Brigade not only repelled the German assault but also advanced the frontline by eight kilometers, inflicting over ten thousand casualties on the German forces and capturing more than eight thousand prisoners. Their own losses amounted to just eighteen tanks and a little over five hundred soldiers—a "remarkable" victory by any standard.
(Note: The casualties of the French First Special Artillery Division are not included in these figures.)
Once again, the people of France were electrified by this victory, taking to the streets with cheers, shouting:
"Vive la France!"
"Vive the First Tank Brigade!"
Some even raised a new cry: "Why don't we march all the way to Berlin?"
Surprisingly, this sentiment found broad support, with newspapers across France echoing it:
"If our army holds such a decisive advantage, then with Charles' forces on the battlefield, we could push the Germans into a full retreat and perhaps even end the war entirely!"
"I agree. I truly believe we have the strength to do this, but it should be with Charles' forces leading the charge."
"The only question we should be asking is whether our troops are using Charles' strategies and tactics!"
Charles, however, paid little attention to the celebration. He knew that talk of "marching to Berlin" or "ending the war" was premature.
Historically, the "Renault tank"—which he had re-engineered as the "Charles A1"—was mass-produced in 1917. Yet, even with its deployment, trench warfare wasn't immediately brought to an end. By this point, warfare was increasingly "systematic," and this shift meant that a single type of weapon or even an innovative design could no longer single-handedly determine the tide of battle.
For example, the Germans still held a decisive advantage in long-range artillery, while French production of heavy howitzers was limited to only five units per month, a rate that barely kept up with losses.
German industries dominated artillery production, and due to the technical barriers, it would be challenging to ramp up output in the short term. This imbalance meant the Germans retained the capability to impede any tank breakthrough—a reason Charles' tank brigade halted after advancing eight kilometers.
What truly caught Charles' interest was Germany's new "Storm Trooper" units. He was meticulously reviewing photos sent from the front.
The images were taken by the First Tank Brigade, which had captured over a hundred of these troops during their advance. They stood out, armored in steel plate and heavily burdened by their gear, lacking the motorized capabilities to move swiftly.
Watching Charles pore over the photos, Tijani seemed perplexed. He leaned over, glancing at the pictures spread across the desk. "Everyone's talking about how we should march to Berlin, and here you are studying this. What's so special about them? Just the steel armor?"
To Tijani, the "Storm Trooper" concept seemed foolish. He found it hard to believe that anyone still wore medieval-style armor on a modern battlefield. What purpose could it possibly serve?
"They're not as simple as they seem, General," Charles replied. "The armor might seem outdated, but the tactics are highly advanced."
Charles could see the beginnings of modern "special forces" in the German storm troops. Like tanks, they could infiltrate enemy defenses and target strategic points, combining both precision and mobility.
Tijani raised his eyebrows skeptically, dismissing Charles' enthusiasm. He believed that nothing could stand against tanks in this era; everything would eventually crumble under their firepower.
At that moment, General Winter entered the office, his expression complex as he turned to Charles. "I need to speak with you privately, Brigadier."
Charles nodded, leading Winter into the adjoining conference room.
"What's the matter?" Charles motioned for Winter to take a seat and asked, "Wasn't this victory 'remarkable' enough?"
"No." Winter shook his head. "You performed brilliantly, Brigadier. We believe the Italians will join the Allies because of this success—they've already reached out to us."
"Then why—?" Charles looked at Winter with a puzzled expression.
"Your aircraft," Winter said, his gaze hesitant. "The new fighter model. I need to know if it will be available for sale."
Charles understood immediately—Britain was concerned about his fighter's capabilities.
Charles' suspicion was accurate. When news of the victory reached London, the First Lord of the Admiralty was anything but pleased. Instead of celebrating, he sat in his office with a furrowed brow.
The First Lord held a photo of the "Camel" fighter jet mid-battle with a German aircraft.
After a long silence, he finally spoke in a low voice to Major Kyle, head of MI6, who was standing nearby. "Are you sure it can reach a top speed of 180 kilometers per hour?"
"Yes," Kyle replied confidently. "We initially stationed observers to track the new German aircraft, but we unexpectedly recorded the speed of Charles' model instead. Everyone was stunned by its speed; we verified it several times—it might even exceed 180 kilometers per hour."
The First Lord's expression grew grimmer, and he asked slowly, "What's the top speed of our latest fighter?"
"140 kilometers," Kyle said, sounding resigned. "It's still undergoing test flights and hasn't entered service yet."
This was the de Havilland DH.2, modified from the twin-seat DH.1 to be lighter, with a single-seat cockpit and a 100-horsepower engine capable of reaching 140 kilometers per hour.
The First Lord let out an annoyed huff. "Do you realize what this means? We might be falling behind the French—or, more precisely, falling behind Charles."
As the leader of the world's most powerful nation, he found the idea of lagging behind another country intolerable—even more so since that country was an ally.
Or perhaps especially since it was an ally.
When an ally was in the lead, Britain was forced to watch it progress further and further ahead.
"Aircraft are everything, Kyle." The First Lord continued to study the photo thoughtfully. "One day, if France were ever to become our enemy, their fighter planes could shoot ours out of the sky just as they're doing to the Germans."
"I understand, sir," Kyle replied. "Perhaps we could seek cooperation with Charles or try to purchase the model outright."
The First Lord looked slightly embarrassed. It seemed undignified for the world's leading power to request cooperation from Charles.
But at this point, what other choice did they have?
If they didn't cooperate, they would simply have to watch as he surpassed them, getting farther ahead.
Thus, "purchasing the aircraft" quickly became Britain's top priority—even higher than persuading Italy to join the Allies.
While the latter concerned the entire Allied effort, the former affected Britain's own national security.
The English Channel was only 34 kilometers at its narrowest point, and with advanced French fighters stationed just across the water, Britain's security felt suddenly fragile. If France could dominate the skies, what would become of Britain's claim to be the foremost global power?
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